Blocked shots can be costly. Ethan Bear's silent recovery from a preseason injury sparks questions about his return and impact on the Islanders' blueline.
On Sept. 26, New York Islanders defenseman Ethan Bear blocked a shot in the club's second-to-last preseason game, which came against the New Jersey Devils at UBS Arena.
He left the game with an apparent upper-body injury and did not return. Since then, it's been radio silence.
While Bear, who signed a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 on July 1, wasn't a shoo-in to make the Islanders roster, the expectation was that he'd provide some depth and leadership to a young Bridgeport Islanders blue line.
The Relationship Between Islanders Mathew Barzal & Newcomer Ethan Bear
When the <a href="http://thn.com/isles">New York Islanders</a> signed defenseman <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/islanders-sign-goaltender-david-rittich-defenseman-ethan-bear-on-day-one-of-nhl-free-agency">Ethan Bear</a> to a one-year, two-way deal, it didn't seem like anything more than a depth signing.
Bear served as the alternate captain of the Hershey Bears, the Washington Capitals' American Hockey League affiliate, recording 46 points (10 goals, 36 assists) in 62 games last season.
He was placed on Season-Opening Injured Reserve (SOIR). That meant that he didn't count against the Islanders' 23-man active roster or salary cap.
However, with Alexander Romanov out for the rest of the season and the Islanders using a few rookies in Travis Mitchell and Marshall Warren, along with veteran Adam Boqvist, could Bear be a factor at some point in the season?
The Hockey News has been told that Bear sustained what is believed to have been a wrist injury when he blocked that shot.
Bear has been rehabbing in Bridgeport and is expected to be back in a few weeks.
Defenseman Isaiah George, who played 33 games for the Islanders last season, has been sidelined in Brideport since Nov. 14. He is expected to return this weekend.